23rd Oregon Shorebird Festival Plus!

Posted by OCVA/ April 28, 2009

Experience the wonder of shorebird migration along the scenic Oregon coast at the 23rd annual Oregon Shorebird Festival to be held August 28-30, 2009. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Cape Arago Audubon Society, Oregon Field Ornithologists, South Slough NERR and many other sponsors will have a full weekend of activities planned for birders of all skill levels. The festival is headquartered at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Charleston, OR. Activities include expertly guided land based field trips to Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, New River and the Coos Bay area. And for those who want to experience birding on the water, The Bird Guide, Inc. will offer two pelagic trips: a long eight hour trip on Saturday and a short five hour trip on Sunday. Expected seabirds include albatross, jaeger, shearwater, phalarope, auklets, and more. Evening programs on birds will feature Geoff Keller “My Most Memorable Field Recording Experiences” and Jim Danzenbaker “A Workshop on the Nuances of Shorebird Identification.”

Bring your best pair of binoculars as Bandon Marsh and Coos Bay are renowned for shorebird watching and each year a few rarities have delighted festival attendees. Regular migrants include Black-bellied plover, Semi-palmated plover, Western sandpiper, Least sandpiper, Dunlin, Whimbrel, Surfbird and Wandering tattler. Please join us on the southern coast of Oregon for a weekend of birding fun and challenges. To register for the festival or for more information please visit our website at www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/shorebirdfestival.htm